Future of Cloud Computing

Nov

About a decade ago, the concept of cloud computing (as a service) was a little known concept; and suddenly it exploded. The significant cost reduction in cloud storage, and software as a service allowed for the current wave of on demand services. Gone are the days of high initial infrastructure investments. Now anyone can host a website and have an on-demand ERP that is based on volume, as opposed to a fixed cost. Obviously, a robust ERP is still a significant investment; but you can always opt for segmented services such as payment/billing, CRM, sales tracking, etc.

So now that we are all fully integrated into the cloud – what should we expect for the future? Forbes offers the following keynotes from

Automotive

“Making the new vehicle creation process more collaborative using cloud computing not only accelerates time-to-market, it also leads to higher quality and new designs that reflect customer requirements.”

Retail

“As smartphone payment systems evolve, geo-location tracking has the possibility of alerting retailers the minute a valued customer walks into their store. This, combined with knowledge of what that customer likes, offers a valuable opportunity for very personalized service and rewards programs.”

Healthcare Services

“Time is valuable for everyone, but especially doctors. They need fast access to accurate, updated information so they can assess and treat patients more efficiently. Accessing the cloud would allow them to tap a database of information from professionals all over the world to monitor trends in disease”

Medical Data

“Means exist for us to engage more and better share information, including across various care settings and geographic locations (including from the patient’s home), all thanks to healthcare cloud computing”

Manufacturing

“Scaling global manufacturing operations to support increasingly complex, intricate and often compliance-driven supply chains is a leading catalyst driving cloud computing adoption throughout manufacturing today.”

Microsoft Cloud Voice

“When it comes down to it, companies want to use the cloud to enhance customer service for the same reason: Better service can help differentiate a company from the competition. — Bill Patterson, General Manager of Customer Service Solutions at Microsoft”